Ten-key keyboard for calculating and bookkeeping machines



Sept s, 1964 H. GEL'UNG 3,147,919

TEN-KEY KEYBOARD FOR CALCULATING AND BOOKKEEPING MACHINES Filed June 27,1961 United States Patent O 3,147,919 TEN-KEY KEYBGARD FR CALCULATENGANB BOUKKEEPHI G MACHINES Helmut Geiiing, Bietiikon, near Zurich,Switzeriand, as-

signor to Precisa A.G., Rechenmaschinent'abrik, Zurich, SwitzerlandFiled .lune 27, 1961, Ser. No. 119,941 Claims priority, appiieationSwitzerland Li'uy 6, 1950 3 Claims. (Cl. 23S-145) This invention relatesto a ten-key keyboard for calculating and book-keeping machines, inwhich the keys for the numerals 1 to 9 are arranged in three columns ofthree and in which the keys are mounted on mounting pins on guideelements, nine of these guide elements each having a limb which, whenthe key is depressed, pushes one of the .plungers arranged in a plungerbox, movably disposed below the keys, into its operative position. Inconventional ten-key keyboards of this kind, the mounting pins of theguide elements are disposed centrally of the keys, these pins being ofrectangular cross-section and lying parallel to the direction ofmovement of the plunger box. This has the disadvantage of requiring theguide elements to be bent and all the guide elements are different onefrom the other. This therefore necessitates the provision of a specialstamping tool and a special bending tool for each guide element. It isalso diicult to maintain the necessary accuracy for faultless guiding ofthe keys, so that after adjustment and subsequent rehardening of theguide elements is often required. The present invention overcomes thisdisadvantage by providing at least nine of the said keys in one, plane,the mounting pin of at least the majority of the guide elements beingoit-centre relative to the key, the guide elements being arranged inplanes normal to the common plane of the keys and extending obliquelyand inclined to the direction of movement of the plunger box.

A construction according to the invention is shown, by way of example,schematically in the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a plan View of the keys, the guide elements and the plungerbox, whilst FiG. 2 shows a section through the keyboard in the plane ofone of the guide elements.

'Phe ten-key keyboard is provided, in the usual Way, with nine keys 11bearing the numerals l to 9 and being arranged in three columns ofthree, and with an elongated key bearing the numeral 0. The key 11 ismounted on a mounting pin 12 of a guide element 13 which has three limbs14, 15 and 16 of which the limbs or arms 14 and 15 are oppositelydirected. The mounting pin 12 is .at the top end of the limb or arm 14which extends through an opening 17 in a top plate 18. The limb 15extends through an opening 19 in a lower plate 2t? and has a hook 21which engages with a spring 22 Which tends to retain the key 11 in itsnormal raised position. The limbs or arms 14, 15 and 16 areinterconnected by a yoke part 23. The plunger box 24 which is connectedin the usual manner with the suitably arranged plungers 25, is arrangedbelow the keys for reciprocation in the direction of the double-headedkarrow 26. The limb 16 which extends through a hole 27 in the lowerplate 2t?, depresses the setting plunger which happens to be underneathit into its operative position shown in full lines in FIG. 2, when thekey 11 Iis depressed downwards. The

original position of a plunger 25 which has not been depressed is shownin FIG. 2 by interrupted lines and designated 25. The lower end of theplunger 25 in its operating position serves in the usual way for settinga toothed rack (not shown) which in turn serves to introduce the numeralconcerned into a counting device.

Below the guide element 13 and at right angles thereto, there extends apivotable proled rod 2S, which is retained -in the angular positionShown in FIG. 2 by a spring (not shown); in this position the free edgeof a protruding portion 29 of this profiled rod abuts an abutment 30 oneach guide element 13 which is in its nonactuated position. When the key11 is depressed downwards, the profiled rod 28 is pivoted and therebythe plunger box 24 is moved one step in the usual way, so that the nextcolumn of plungers cornes under the limbs 16 of the guide elements 13.1n FlG. l the plunger box is shown somewhat too far to the right, forsake of clarity. In its original position the plungers 25 of the iirstcolumn are disposed underneath the limbs 16 of the guide elements.Since, as is well known, no plunger requires to be set for the settingof the numeral 9, because lin this case the position of the toothedracks is determined by a common abutment, the limb 16 of the guideelement 13 is not disposed above the plunger box.

As can be seen from FIG. l, all the guide elements 13 `lie in a commonplane. This is possible because the mounting pins 12 of these guideelements are olf-centre, relative to the keys concerned and, moreover,since most of these guide elements are inclined to the direction ofmovement of the plunger box 24 (only the guide elements 13 of the keysbearing the numerals 1, 2 and 9 being parallel to this direction). Theguide elements 13 of the zero-key and of the keys bearing the numeralsl, 4 and 7 are alike; likewise the three guide element 13 of the threekeys 2, 5 and 8 are alike, and also the guide elements of the three keysbearing the numerals 3, 6 and 9. For the manufacture of the ten guideelements 13, only three stamping tools are required, whilst previouslyten stamping tools and ten bending tools had to be provided.

In order to show clearly what the usual guide elements look like, suchan element is shown in interrupted lines in respect of the key for thenumeral 7 and designated 31. It should also be mentioned that a butter32 is provided underneath the top plate 18.

it will be seen that a very considerable advantage regarding the methodof manufacture is achieved by the construction of the ten-key keyboarddescribed.

By arranging the zero-key further to the right, it is possible to makethe guide element 13 equal to that for the key bearing the numeral 2 or3, instead of that bearing the numeral 1. However, if the zero-key ismade very long, a guide element provided with only a single mounting pinis not adequate for ensuring faultless guiding of this key, so that, insuch an event, a special key which is not in the same common plane asthe others` would have to be provided.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a calculating and bookkeeping machine having a horizontallyextending frame plate provided with a series of guide slots, a pincarriage reciprocably mounted beneath said frame plate having closelyspaced indexing pins reciprocably mounted for vertical movement, a tenkey keyboard for said machine including keys for the numerals 1 to 9 anda Zero key, said numeral keys being arranged in three parallel spacedcolumns with three numeral keys in each column extending in a line,vertically reciprocable elements mounted in said guide slots having akey mounting pin on the upper end thereof, horizontal- -ly extendingarms on said elements terminating at their ends in downwardly extendingarms arranged to engage said pin carriage pins during indexing, yieldingspring means for urging said element in an upward direction, and keybuttons having apertures offset from the center thereof forreceiving'the said mounting pins on the upper end of each of saidelements, at least nine of said elements being arranged with theirhorizontally extending arms in a common horizontal plane, saidhorizontal arms being obliquely positioned in such a manner as toconverge in a direction toward the pins in the pin carriage and each ofsaid elements being formed of a flat plate-like structure providing aguided portion and an offset arm for selectively engaging the pins .insaid pin box.

2. A calculating and bookkeeping machine as set forth in claim 1 inwhich three of the keys of the said three parallel spaced columns aremounted on similar elements.

'4 3. A calculating and bookkeeping machine according to claim 2 whereinthe zero key of the ten key keyboard is mounted on the element which issimilar to one of the guide elements of one of the other keys.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,099,060 Gebhardt Nov. 16, 1937 2,424,359 Lilestrom July 22, 19472,472,519 Carlsen June 7, 1949 2,675,960 Friedberg Apr. 20, 19542,677,498 Parker May 4, 1954 2,975,971 Schenk Mar. 21, 1961 3,029,014Capellaro Apr. 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 107,712 Sweden June 22, 1943473,24-0 Germany Mar. 12, 1929 497,196 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1938736,626 Germany June 23, 1943 912,680 France May 6, 1946 Germany Apr. 7,1960

1. IN A CALCULATING AND BOOKKEEPING MACHINE HAVING A HORIZONTALLYEXTENDING FRAME PLATE PROVIDED WITH A SERIES OF GUIDE SLOTS, A PINCARRIAGE RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED BENEATH SAID FRAME PLATE HAVING CLOSELYSPACED INDEXING PINS RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT, A TENKEY KEYBOARD FOR SAID MACHINE INCLUDING KEYS FOR THE NUMERALS 1 TO 9 ANDA ZERO KEY, SAID NUMERAL KEYS BEING ARRANGED IN THREE PARALLEL SPACEDCOLUMNS WITH THREE NUMERAL KEYS IN EACH COLUMN EXTENDING IN A LINE,VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE SLOTS HAVING AKEY MOUNTING PIN ON THE UPPER END THEREOF, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ARMSON SAID ELEMENTS TERMINATING AT THEIR ENDS IN DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING ARMSARRANGED TO ENGAGE SAID PIN CARRIAGE PINS DURING INDEXING, YIELDINGSPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID ELEMENT IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION, AND KEYBUTTONS HAVING APERTURES OFFSET FROM THE CENTER THEREOF FOR RECEIVINGTHE SAID MOUNTING PINS ON THE UPPER END OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS, ATLEAST NINE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING ARRANGED WITH THEIR HORIZONTALLYEXTENDING ARMS IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID HORIZONTAL ARMS BEINGOBLIQUELY POSITIONED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO CONVERGE IN A DIRECTIONTOWARD THE PINS IN THE PIN CARRIAGE AND EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS BEINGFORMED OF A FLAT PLATE-LIKE STRUCTURE PROVIDING A GUIDED PORTION AND ANOFFSET ARM FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING THE PINS IN SAID PIN BOX.